■ The Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) announced that it will co-host the 'Korea-OECD Synthetic Biology Workshop' with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) at the Grand Hyatt Incheon from the 25th to the 26th. The workshop will be attended by approximately 800 participants from 8 countries, including the secretariat of the OECD's Working Party on Biotechnology, Nanotechnology and Converging Technologies (BNCT), officials from major governments and related organizations, and experts from industry, academia, and research. On the second day, discussions will be held to prepare the 'Recommendation on Responsible Innovation in Synthetic Biology,' a key agenda item for the OECD.
■ The Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM) announced on the 25th that it signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Korea National Oil Corporation (KNOC) on the 24th at its headquarters in Daejeon to 'strengthen cooperation in oil resource exploration on the domestic continental shelf and in the field of carbon neutrality.' The two organizations agreed to cooperate on joint research for domestic and international oil exploration and securing CO2 geological storage sites, establishing marine geological information and vitalizing geological and geophysical research, jointly utilizing exploration equipment such as geophysical research vessels and sharing exploration data, and revitalizing the domestic resource development ecosystem.
■ The Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information (KISTI) announced on the 25th that it has published the 10th issue of its science and technology policy journal, ‘S&T DATA.’ This issue, under the theme 'Data: Turning the Energy Crisis into an Opportunity,' diagnoses the nature of the global energy crisis, which is intertwined with climate change and geopolitical conflicts. It covers new energy paradigms and transition strategies utilizing data and Artificial Intelligence (AI).
■ The National Academy of Engineering of Korea (NAEK) announced on the 25th that it will hold the 281st NAEK Forum under the theme 'The Era of Physical AI: Korea's Response Strategy.' Physical AI refers to next-generation AI that operates directly in the physical environment—such as humanoids, autonomous driving, and autonomous production—going beyond existing generative AI, which was limited to text and image generation. The forum, to be held at El Tower in Yangjae-dong, Seoul, on the 29th, will examine the development status and industrial application potential of the rapidly emerging field of Physical AI worldwide.
